Weather Journal: Still Cold, But No Longer Frigid

Cold air vapor forms from the breath of pedestrians on Tuesday in New York.

Although the sun will shine and temperatures will approach normal levels, it will once again be very cold in Greater New York on Thursday.

The polar vortex responsible for the week’s frigid temperatures is exiting the northern half of the United States, ending our stretch of extreme cold. High pressure then builds into the region, bringing fairer weather to the tri-state area on Thursday. It won’t be warm enough to return winter accessories to the closet, but temperatures will continue to gradually trend upwards through the remainder of the week as the air over the region warms.

Thursday begins with scattered clouds and gusty winds early in the morning, but these will quickly disappear once high pressure drifts directly over the area. The day’s highs will still be below normal.

Sunny skies will eventually give way to increasing clouds from the west late in the day. Evening temperatures plummet into the teens and twenties, but without the strong winds of the last few days, nighttime won’t feel quite as cold. The area of high pressure over the mid-Atlantic states will drift out to sea Thursday night, as a weak area of low pressure approaches from the west; this could result in light snow developing Thursday night and early on Friday morning.

Relief from the recent stretch of brutally cold weather arrives in the region on Friday. The day looks dry and mild with temperatures reaching the upper 30s and low 40s, slightly above normal for January. A series of frontal systems is then set to bring clouds and showers to the area for the weekend.